C'est magnifique!

   I was thrilled when the carbon wheelset arrived just before the weekend, and I thought I would be able to put the final touches on the Cervélo Soloist bicycle and post the finished pictures today. I was looking all over my basement for the sterling silver Jagwire cable/housing set I thought I had ordered months ago. Since I had used an identical set on both my brother-in-law’s Kestrel and my Vitus, I could have sworn I had ordered three, but it turns out that my mind may have shorted out from the number of projects I was tackling this summer!

   My disappointment in having to wait a few more days to finish the Cervélo was negated by the delivery of the Turbo Matic saddle for my Vitus. I was planning on joining a friend in Philadelphia for a ride in/around the city, including the new Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk, and I was excited to be able to take my “new” machine for a spin. Although the saddle is close to thirty years old, it is in wonderful condition, and after a bit of polish, it looks even better. Here are a bunch of photos of the completed bicycle:

   On Sunday Phil (appropriately named) took me through some great neighborhoods near the Italian Market area, as we made our way west towards the river. After I mildly complained about some folks parking in the bike lanes, he explained the relaxed restriction on Sunday churchgoers. We also discussed Philadelphia’s recent #14 ranking in the Bicycling Magazine “America’s Best Bike Cities” article, and how more people need to commit to two-wheeled transportation for the situation to improve even further.

   Despite our flowing conversation and the need to constantly be in tune with the busy surroundings, I remained aware of my bicycle’s operation. I immediately noticed the quiet coast of the Sachs freewheel, particularly compared to the “hive of bees” freehub featured on my Campagnolo Vento wheels. The best comparison to the Sachs sound is someone winding a wristwatch – and since my ears are about five feet away from the rear hub, that gives you a pretty good idea of its relative silence!

   The buildings sheltered us well from the chilly wind, but when we reached the Schuylkill we got a full gust directly in our faces as we headed north. The new boardwalk structure was beautiful, providing a great view of the river, the city skyline and several area landmarks, such as 30th Street Station. I had brought the Atala bicycle for Phil to try out, and he was certainly enjoying it, as we did about fifteen miles, up West River Drive to Falls Bridge and returning back the Kelly Drive side of Fairmount Park.

   On Monday morning I was itching to test the Vitus out on some unpaved trails. I decided to do one of my regular routes that incorporates some street riding with the Perkiomen and Schuylkill Trails as they loop back through Collegeville, Oaks, and Phoenixville to reach Spring City, which is just across the river from my hometown of Royersford.

   I knew from my ride over the weekend how much easier the Vitus would make the six mile paved ride out to the Perkiomen trailhead in Rahns, but I was much more concerned with its performance on the trail itself. Over the irregular, rocky surface, the Vitus’ bonded aluminum frame provided a ride quality that was somewhere between the ultimate vibration-dampening quality of the Atala’s steel frame and the bone-shaking variety provided by the welded aluminum Specialized bicycle I owned previously.

   The nimble Vitus made up for some of the rough ride with its handling in the twisty sections and its easy acceleration away from the road crossings that intersect the trail. The lightweight frame was also noticeable when taking on some of the inclines in the gorge areas along the Perkiomen Creek. However, the Vitus really shined on the Schuylkill Trail from Phoenixville to Spring City, where the surface alternates often between asphalt and packed cinders - the bike just felt “twitchy” fast.

   An interesting tidbit - at the Cromby trailhead in Phoenixville I noticed preliminary grading of the old railbed that once tunneled under the large hill on the north side of town. The current connection for the Schuylkill Trail takes cyclists up a rather long, stiff climb, and it will be very nice when that obstacle is eliminated. In my dream world, someone would magically smooth out the hill up Main Street towards our house in Royersford, because the vintage gearing is not ideal for that slope – especially with twenty miles of hard trail riding already in my legs!